Thanks to a tipster, we’ve been handed the official press release for the Galaxy Note II, which is expected to be announced at IFA 2012 in just a few hours. The display of the Galaxy Note II will be 5.5″ and 1280×720 resolution (granting it a true 16:9 aspect ratio, but with lesser resolution than the original Galaxy Note which had 1280×800 pixels). Like the original Note, the display will be an HD Super AMOLED panel. The device will feature a 1.6GHz quad-core CPU (the type is not specified, but we’ll put our money on the Exynos) with 2GB of RAM and an 8MP camera on the rear and a 1.9MP camera on the front. It’ll be powered by an even-larger 3,100mAh battery (the original Note was 2,500mAh). Despite the larger battery, the Note II will be slightly thinner than the original at 9.4mm versus 9.65mm, but it’ll be heavier by 2 grams. It’ll be available in 16, 32, and 64 GB configurations and will have microSD expansion. In terms of wireless connectivity, the Note II will feature HSPA+ 21mbps, plus 4G LTE depending on model. It will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. In terms of availability, the Note II ships in October in Europe. It will be available in Marble White or Titanium Gray. No word on pricing or US availability.

Beyond the specs, the Note II brings some new functionality to the table in terms of the S-Pen feature. To start, the new S-Pen is longer, thicker, and features an improved design to be more ergonomic. There is a new feature called Air View that “allows users to hover with the S-Pen over an email, image gallery, or video to preview the content without having to open it.” And, just like Popup Play which lets you watch a video while doing another task, Popup Note lets you keep a note on the screen while using another application. There’s also a new feature called Quick Command that is accessed with an upward swipe with the S-Pen; doing so will reveal a menu of quick commands to send someone an email, make a call, or do a search. Finally, the Note II has a Screen Recorder function that lets a user record a demonstration of how to use an application, for instance.